No Love For Baseball

In class we discussed possible options on why baseball is no longer Americas past time. Now before I go into details on why this might be, I want to get it out there that I am not much of a baseball guy. Yes, I admit that come spring time it is nice to participate in fantasy baseball drafts. Also, on a nice summer day I don't mind going to the ballpark, just as long as I'm not paying an arm and a leg for a ticket. This summer I interned with the Jamestown Jammers, a minor league team affiliated with the Florida Marlins. So I had my fair share of baseball games this year, and I managed to go to the Indians vs Nationals game. (Strasburgh pitched.)

Some reasons for baseball decreasing in popularity would have to be steroids usage, the separation between the good and bad teams, the length of the season and how football beings in the last month of the MLB season, or that the game play is too slow and there is not enough action.

Players partaking in steroids is a huge blow to the game of baseball. The integrity of the game takes a damper and how can you really feel passionate about a sport full of cheaters? How can you continue to root for some of your favorite players knowing they are involved with steroids? Okay, now if your favorite baseball players were not involved in steroids then at least look at the difference in the teams. No matter what, before every season you can predict that the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, and Cardinals will more than likely be in the playoffs. What is the fun in organizations buying their team? Once a player becomes a star then money talks and they end up with the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees or Red Sox. What about the small markets? Yes, the Rays have become contenders the past few years, but for the most part those small market teams are battling it out for the first pick in the off-season. With the baseball season being so long it is easy for fans to lose interest in their team especially if their team is out of the playoff race at the all-star break. Americas love is dominated by football. Once football starts baseball gets put on the back burner. Even look at the networks of ESPN, football becomes the top priority, even if baseball is in the prime of the playoff race. Finally, there are some people who just cannot get into baseball because it is too slow. They are accustomed to faster paced sports or contact sports.